His smile, his style, his irrepressible sparkle – it’s all there.
Anyone who ever knew legendary danceman Mike Jordan will recognize his likeness and see his spirit in a new and permanent fixture in downtown Everett.
The bronze sculpture, a creation of Sultan artist Kevin Pettelle, was installed May 15 outside the Everett Performing Arts Center on Wetmore Avenue.
“We’re so touched the community of Everett has chosen to honor Mike this way,” said Judy Martin, sister of the dance instructor, who died May 6, 2004.
“He was a very special brother and a much-beloved man. It’s lovely that folks chose to do this,” said Martin, who lives in Mission Viejo, Calif.
For 37 years, Jordan taught tap, ballet and jazz dancing to children at the Betty Spooner Creative Arts Foundation Studio on Rockefeller Avenue. The dance academy was named for his mother, Betty Spooner, who opened the school in 1925.
After Jordan died, a committee headed by his longtime friends Ed and Betty Morrow worked to raise $50,000 to commission the sculpture.
“It was truly a gift from many, many people,” Betty Morrow said. About 400 people sent donations, she said. The money came in large checks and small amounts.
“Little children saved their allowance and would write magnificent letters about how much they loved Mr. Jordan,” said Ed Morrow, a former Everett City Council member. Morrow and Jordan grew up together in Everett and remained friends.
“Kevin did a beautiful job. It’s absolutely fantastic,” said Chip Hunter of Everett. As a troubled teen, Hunter found refuge in Jordan’s dance classes, and he was later adopted by the dance teacher.
Hunter helped the artist capture Jordan’s stance by posing for the sculpture. They used a hat and shoes Jordan had worn in performances over the years.
In the bronze artwork, a prop chair is an invitation for passersby to spend a few moments with the figure of the dancer. Another interactive element is a ribbon on the dancer’s vest that can hold a flower – a jaunty boutonniere.
“That little flower changes a number of times each day,” Ed Morrow said. “Sometimes people pick one from a flower pot nearby.”
The project was accomplished in cooperation with the Everett Parks and Recreation Department.
“People are calling to tell us how much they like it,” said Wendy Becker, Everett’s cultural arts coordinator. “The $50,000 for the sculpture was raised partly from children’s allowances. There were bags of pennies and quarters from kids who took apart their piggy banks.
“Can you imagine what that says about you? How you touched people’s lives?” Becker said.
A public dedication of the statue is scheduled for 10 a.m. June 10 at the site, 2710 Wetmore Ave.
Pettelle, who’d met Jordan briefly several times, said the dancer was a challenging subject. There were few photographs to use for reference. A DVD of an interview with Jordan helped with facial expressions.
Pettelle worked four months sculpting in his Sultan studio. Foundry work on Whidbey Island took another two months. Pettelle has other high-profile art in the community, including a bronze sculpture of children playing king of the hill at Providence Everett Medical Center’s Pavilion for Women and Children.
In 2001, Jordan was honored with Everett’s Richard Wendt Award, the city’s highest arts award.
“One of my sculptures was the prize,” Pettelle said. Titled “Dancer,” the piece showed a yoga pose, the sculptor said.
People on Wetmore are now meeting a life-size likeness of Jordan that’s called “Simple Song.”
“That’s the name of the song Mike always used to end his performances,” Becker said. “Mike’s memory is truly honored. Kevin got it right.”
Columnist Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460 or muhlsteinjulie@heraldnet.com.
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